Peppermint & Pine: Chapter One

The founder of Honey & Home, Brandi Bowman Putnam wrote a book! A Christmas romance novel available for preorder now (shipping November 1st)! And as of tomorrow, we are just two short weeks away from the release and today to celebrate we are releasing the entire first chapter! But first, a little about the book....

Peppermint & Pine is set in the idyllic & charming small town of Cranbrook, where the characters are inviting, colorful and warm. At the last minute, the planning of a long standing Christmas festival gets dumped on Lucy West, an already busy boutique owner. In comes a handsome and mysterious stranger, Ford Montgomery, who out of the blue offers to stay to help her with the festival. His motives are unknown to Lucy but his charm is irresistible.

Keep scrolling for chapter one!

Chapter One:

Did I send in the payment for that Glittertown order? I really need to stop and pick up some more twinkle lights for the left window display at the store. It needed a little more pop. Did that last shipment of ornaments arrive? Did I pack all the evergreen ornaments for decorating the Inn tonight? I wonder if I turned off the curling iron this morning? As I lift my big black mug filled with a now cold chai latte, I am brought back to the present. How long have I sat here lost in my thoughts? Glancing out the window, I notice it has started to snow. I can’t help but take in the sight as the snow falls on downtown. God I love this town. Just small enough where everyone knows everyone (well, almost) but big enough to have all the conveniences like being 15 minutes from a larger city with all the conveniences they offer. But at Christmas I love it more. There is always magic in the air when the lights are strung on November 1st each year in our quaint little downtown. And sitting at Lola’s Café, I have the best view of the entire downtown. I can see the gazebo in the center of the cul-de-sac, the ice rink with the skate rental booth that stays through February, the hot cocoa booth that Lola sets up for the season, and all the shops and restaurants that hug the street. With it being the first week of November, the town tree lighting is this weekend, and it feels brand new again.

I feel a hand on my shoulder “Did you want another chai, Lucy?” Lola asks.

“No, thanks though. I have to check in at Homebody before I head to the Commons meeting tonight. You know how Thomas gets about everyone being on time,” I respond.

“Yeah, wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of his wrath,” she smirks. “Let me box up some coffees and treats to take back to the girls on me. It’s the least I can do after you decorated this place again this year. And truly, I think it’s the best it’s ever looked!”

“You know I’m happy to do it, Lola,” I say as I glance around at my decorating work. “But the girls will love that, thank you!”.

Before I can even finish my sentence she is rushing back to the counter to get the coffee ready to go. She’s right though, this year I decorated her café in hues of gold and silver with just a few hints of chocolate brown, a nod to her famous coffee concoctions that keeps the town buzzing all year round. And she is right, it is the best it’s ever looked. It’s so dreamy, cozy and Christmas-y. I hope I can do this same thing at the Inn tonight, my last decorating job of the year before the crazy season really starts at the store. This will be my 9th year living in Cranbrook, and my 8th year decorating the Inn for Nancy. Truthfully, Nancy was the first person to ask for my decorating help after she saw the holiday window display I created during the first Christmas season that Homebody was open in the Commons. And as much business as she sends me each holiday season, I am happy to help her transform that cozy little Inn into a Christmas Wonderland. This year, her space will be gold and evergreen with touches of silver and black. I’ve been planning it for months. I love that she gives me full creative control. Using a blend of my stash of ornaments and Homebody pieces, it’s the perfect way to showcase our products and introduce all the out of town holiday guests to Homebody and draw them over to the Commons. Over the years, Nancy has become a second mom to me. Not having a daughter of her own, and my parents spending their retirement in Florida, we grew closer. Eventually that led into endless phone calls, our weekly Sunday dinners, holidays spent together and a void I never knew I had, filled by her. She is the biggest champion of Homebody. I opened Homebody 9 years ago, it’s a cozy little store filled with candles, gifts, home decor, cozy clothing and all the holiday goodness for every season. The Commons is the cutest little outdoor shopping center, filled with locally owned restaurants, shops and the cutest boutique movie theater. That’s why I love it. It has this coziness and warmth that you can only get from small businesses. And where Homebody resides. It’s five miles north of downtown and feels like such an extension of the heart of town. We do our own tree lighting, every business is decorated perfectly and the holiday magic, created by each of the business owners, is found in every corner. We host Santa every Sunday of the month, Sally at the movie theater does Christmas movie showings all season, and the restaurants bring our holiday cocktails and menu items. Really, they go all out for every holiday (Halloween, Easter) but Christmas is unlike any other holiday. It’s just special. But when I first opened the store, I was new to town. It was a dream of mine to have a cozy home store and when I visited Cranbrook on a family vacation in college on the way to Boston, I knew it was the place I’d call home someday. But like every other small town where everybody knows everything about each other, I was new. It was almost as if they were unsure of me. But Nancy was the reason they accepted me in as one of their own. She told her book club, her friends, neighbors and before you knew it, Homebody was booming. We expanded and still can barely keep up, especially this time of year with the increased tourist traffic. It feels like a dream every morning to this day to have a store that is mine.

As Lola returns a huge brown bag of coffees and treats, I grab my coat, gather all the notebooks, pens and my laptop that were scattered across the table. Still not sure if I even accomplished anything but daydreaming, and I head out the door to Homebody.

“See you at the tree lighting?” Lola calls behind me.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” I reply as I head out into the glittering snowfall.

Aside from Nancy, Lola was my first friend when I moved to Cranbrook. She was so kind and welcoming, and conversations over chai’s just kind of led to a friendship. Since I opened Homebody 5 years ago, we’ve gone to each other for business ideas, chats and so much more. She is one of a kind and a true town pillar in Cranbrook.

As I pull into the Commons, I can’t help but smile. The holiday lights are glowing through the snow. I pull around to the back of Homebody and get ready to take the sustenance to the girls. A quick check in and I’m off to the Commons holiday planning meeting.

“About time you got back,” quipped Megan as I open the back door walking into the store room, her short brown bob making her facial expression look even sassier. But as soon as she sees the brown Lola’s bag, she softens and a smile spreads across her face.

“I guess I can forgive you for being gone for so long coming back with an afternoon pick me up,”. Megan, my longest standing employee, is reliable as hell, but with sass to match. She is my right hand for the store so I can do all the extras, like decorating half the town’s businesses every November. She is small but fierce.

“I am just stopping in before the holiday meeting. How has the afternoon been?,” I ask, handing her the coffees.

“Insane. Every year it feels like the tourists start earlier and earlier. This morning we had a group of 12 ladies that are all staying at Nancy’s Inn that she sent in here,” she says between bites of a maple cinnamon roll. “They were buying stuff as fast as we could bring it out. But they all said they can’t wait to see what you do to the Inn tonight! Nancy told them they would wake up in Christmas Wonderland tomorrow.”

“No pressure there,” I say as I start sifting through the stack of online orders that is building on the desk.

“Oh whatever. You are the queen of Christmas,” Megan responds with an eyeroll.

Ignoring the flattery, I grab two coffees and head out to check in on Rachel and Donna. Donna is helping a customer over by the new ornaments but Rachel is smiling at me from behind the checkout counter. Lola’s has that effect on everyone. I hand her the coffee and before I can even get a word in Rachel proceeds to give me an update.

“So the new Santa cookie jars sold out today online and all the platters with the nutcrackers are gone after the frenzy this morning. I already called and we can get the cookie jars by next Friday but the platters are gone, gone,”. God she is so organized.

“Thanks Rachel! I so appreciate you being on top of all of this!,” I say. She smiles and sips her coffee.

Donna walks over and grabs the cup on the desk, “Is this bribery or just a treat? I like to know what I’m in for.”

Donna the paranoid. I laugh, “Just a treat Donna. There are some goodies in the back. But I just wanted to stop in before the meeting. I’ll be back by 4:30 so you girls can get out on time today for sure!”

“Good luck” they say in unison looking at each other as they say it. Admittedly, Thomas is a little intense but nothing I can’t handle. He owns The Sweet Shoppe next to the movie theater. And gets really into all holidays and celebrations. But their cautious looks feel like a warning. Walking around the store, looking at all the new inventory they put out this afternoon and straightening things from customers as I go, I feel like I am in my happy place.

As I get to the back room and grab my keys, I am almost to the door when Megan says, “Oh wait! I forgot to tell you. Jillian slipped on some ice walking to her car yesterday morning at home. She’s fine but she broke her leg and won’t be able to plan the Commons Festival of Trees this year. I have a feeling they might ask you to take it over tonight.”

Now I get the cautious looks. I grab my coat and head out to the meeting.

The walk through the Commons is magical this time of year, even in the cold. There are 5 restaurants, the movie theater and about 25 shops in a large rectangle. The center is lined with benches, string lights hang above. and in the center of it all is our “mini town square”. It’s where the tree goes in the winter, the lemonade stand in the spring, Thomas’ gelato cart in the summer and in the fall the big jack-o’-lantern, like the one from Halloweentown. People come from all over to take a picture with the pumpkin. During Christmas, you can find groups of women or couples standing in front of the tree taking pictures. It’s so special. The stores are all locally owned ranging from a bookstore to a few clothing boutiques to a shoe store to a toy store. The restaurants are just the same with their own unique feel but all so homey and cozy.

Today’s meeting is held in Bella Vita. Truly the best Italian restaurant I’ve ever been to. Dino and his wife Sophia opened it 20 years ago and to say it’s perfect is an understatement. The atmosphere is amazing - it’s romantic, dark and cozy all year round. It’s been years since dating has been on my mind after a few disastrous setups with town members’ sons or nephews in from out of town, the worst being Lola’s brother, which thank God we can all laugh about now, but every time I step foot in Bella Vita, I get a tinge of desire to have someone to come here with, along with a slight feeling of loneliness. Get it together Lucy, you don’t have time for this right now I remind myself as I grab the big brass door handle.

Walking in, I am greeted by the aroma of fresh baked bread, espresso martinis and sage. It’s a delicious combination. Taking a left into the bar I see Thomas has a presentation ready to go and looks annoyed. I quickly glance at my watch, grateful when I see it’s only 2:57 pm.

“Hi Thomas,” I say with a warm smile hoping to evade his annoyance.

“Cutting it kind of close, aren’t we Ms. West?” He responds, definitely annoyed. Shit.

“Go easy Thomas, especially considering what you are about to ask her,” Sally pipes as she is walking my direction. I swallow. Megan was right. Sally kisses my cheek and is already pulling my coat off my arms. She is Nancy’s best friend and mothers me whenever she can. Not that I am complaining.

“Did you hear about Jillian? Just terrible,” she whispers as she leads me to a chair right in the front.

“Yeah, Megan told me right before I walked over,” I admit.

“Sit right here sweetie,” she says pulling out my chair while simultaneously placing my coat on the back of it.

“Thanks, Sally,” I say while shooting her a warm smile. She winks and sits down at the seat right next to me.

Thomas starts the meeting with updating up on the Christmas light installation and its completion, the schedule of the Christmas tree lighting, which always takes place the weekend before Thanksgiving, giving the town a couple weeks in between the two lighting events, as if anyone would ever get sick of Christmas activities in this town. He goes on to discuss the new snow removal company we hired this year, how he loved their attention to detail as they salted the sidewalks. He is nothing short of a perfectionist, but the Commons is well maintained because of it so no one complains about his leadership.

Thomas moves his gaze to meet mine staring dead in my eyes and starts his next update, “Now for the next order of business. Jillian Murphy of the Pancake House slipped on ice at her home yesterday morning. I am happy to report she is doing well and the doctors say she will make a full recovery. But unfortunately, she is unable to head up our Festival of Trees this year, which obviously I don’t have to expand on the importance of in relation to the Commons, and the business it brings in to all of us each year. She has assured me that everything is already well underway and that she was ready to share a presentation with all of us about the theme and plan for this year and will be happy to walk through all those details with the new leader.”

For the first time since he started talking, he breaks his eye contact, “Now we all know who makes the most sense to take this over considering her decorating skill and affinity for Christmas spirit.”

What is he trying to do, guilt me into this, I think? Honestly, I am not sure how I have made it 9 years as a Commons Store and not had this tossed my way. I think because Jillian loves it so much. Granted, she is not the greatest planner or most organized and every year I do think of things that I would do differently. But who was I to step on her toes? Especially in the beginning, I wanted everyone to love and accept me into this community. But this year things are different.

Before I can fully think about what I am getting myself into, “I will do it!,” I say with much more enthusiasm than I intended. I mean how hard can it be? We are 5 weeks away, she has to have most of this ready to go and I will just have to carry through, and maybe tweak her plans a little.

“Oh that is wonderful news Lucy! Did everyone hear that? Lucy is taking over the Festival of Trees!”, Thomas exclaims. “So let’s call an emergency meeting in 5 days, Friday at 3 pm. And Lucy can give us an update on the planning after talking with Jillian this week. Okay great. Meeting adjourned!,” and he smacks the wood gavel on his podium.

Honestly, who gave him a gavel? I stand up and to my surprise I am swarmed by other shop owners thanking me and offering their help. It was the least I could do, I am one of the youngest store owners and I just couldn’t fathom putting this on someone else’s plate. Or have someone else do the bare minimum for the next 9 years, I think to myself.

Once I finally get out of there I head back to Homebody. I mean one more thing on my plate is not a big deal, right? I can handle it I think as I take a deep breath. My last decorating job is the Inn and it’s tonight. Once that is done, I can focus on the holiday season Homebody and the Commons Festival of Trees. I pull out my phone to send a quick text to Jillian.

Lucy: Hi Jillian! I am so sorry about your fall but so glad to hear you are okay. The Commons meeting just ended and I have agreed to take on the Festival planning for this year. When can we meet to discuss the details you have so far? Thanks!

Jillian: Oh Lucy, you’re a doll! I knew it would be you 😉. How about tomorrow at 10 a.m. at my house?

Lucy: Sounds great. See you then.

Okay that’s done. Closing the store at 7 tonight, right to the Inn to decorate, home to sleep and Jillian’s at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Taking another deep breath, I remind myself I can do this, and I open the ballerina pink front door of Homebody.